Frank Pentangeli
Frank 'Frankie Five Angels' or 'Frankie Pants' Pentangeli was a caporegime in the Corleone family. Biography at Lake Tahoe.]] Frank Pentangeli was born in Partinico, a small town outside of Palermo, Sicily. He immigrated to America, where he became good friends with Pete Clemenza, who later had Pentangeli initiated into the family. He had an Italian wife and children, as well as mistress, whose children he sent to live in Sicily with his brother Vincenzo. Pentangeli was a caporegime under the Pete Clemenza-Corleone Regime in New York while Michael and Fredo Corleone were in Las Vegas. He took over the position following the death of Clemenza. Pentangeli was a very old associate and family friend, having worked with Vito Corleone in the early days of their olive oil business. He inherited most of the family business in New York. Pentangeli and the Rosatos In 1958, Pentangeli approached Michael to ask for his help in eliminating the Rosato brothers, his rivals in New York, who claimed to have been promised territories by Clemenza prior to his death, but Michael refused. He ordered Pentangeli to do nothing, as he did not want a war to interfere with an upcoming deal with Hyman Roth, who supported the Rosato Brothers. Pentangeli took this as an insult and left in anger. Later that night, Michael narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at his home. Suspecting that Hyman Roth was behind the assassination attempt, Michael met with Pentangeli and asked him to help take his revenge. Pentangeli agreed, promising to end his feud with the Rosato Brothers and giving the impression that Michael supported their claim, so as to give Roth the impression that Michael did not know he was conspiring against him. Back in New York, Frank arranged a meeting with the Rosato Brothers to make a new deal with them. However the deal was a set up and Tony Rosato himself, garroted Pentangeli, who only survived due to the intervention of a police officer. The FBI hearings Later, at a Congressional Hearing, Pentangeli was presented as a surprise witness for the prosecution, believing that Michael ordered the Rosato Brothers to kill him. He had been in the custody of the FBI since the murder attempt, and was prepared to testify that Michael was a Mafia Don and had ordered countless murders for the Corleone family, as well as having personally murdered a police captain. Because Pentangeli's protective custody was so secure, Michael knew he would be unable to have him killed before the trial. Instead, he flew Pentangeli's brother in from Sicily, who appeared in the courtroom. Upon seeing his brother, Vincenzo, Frank Pentangeli recalled the importance of "Omertà" (and the implications of what Vincenzo would do to his family if he spoke out) then recanted his earlier statements, saying that he ran his own family, and claiming that the Corleone family was innocent of any wrongdoing, thereby derailing the government's case. Suicide .]] After the hearing, Tom Hagen visited Pentangeli. Pentangeli discussed how tough his brother was, much tougher than himself. Hagen subtly told Pentangeli that he did the right thing by recanting, and that if he accepted responsibility for turning on the Corleone family, his own family would always be taken care of and remained unharmed, as had happened with insurrectionists against the Roman Emperors. He thanked Hagen, returned to his room, and slit his wrists in the bathtub with his shaving razor, killing himself. The Corleones kept their word, and Frank's family were well provided for. Personality and traits Frank Pentangeli was an experienced street enforcer before he became Clemenza's right-hand man and his knowledge proved useful during the rise of Dominic Corleone. He was prone to making rash decisions and would not readily back down from a fight when challenged, particularly on matters of honour, such as his disputes with the Rosato Brothers. He was also deeply fond of his family and of young children, giving Anthony Corleone a reasonable sum of money at his Communion Party at Lake Tahoe. This made him a popular man to have around. Real life sources Frank Pentangeli is based on gangsters such as well known mafia turncoat Joe Valachi, Larry Gallo, who was also strangled in a bar and survived when a policeman intervened, and Joe Profaci, who denied the Gallo brothers a cut into a racket just as Pentangelli denied the Rosato's what they were allegedly promised by Clemenza. Pentangeli, Frank Pentangeli, Frank Pentangeli, Frank Pentangeli, Frank